WINDO, Bruce Carrington

1920 - 2006

Born at Meopham, near Strood, Kent on 20 March 1920, son of Percy Carrington Windo (9 November 1871-1955), headmaster of Meopham Primary School 1902-1934, and his second wife Gertrude MabelnéeMelling (16 February 1877-1968), who married at Strood in 1908, Percy's first wife was Emily Martin (1867-1906), who married at Bristol on 14 August 1895. Bruce's father was said to have been very talented at handicrafts and drawing and his pupils craftwork reached a high standard and probably taught art to his son. His artistic career seems to have commenced after the Second World War, his earliest published work seems to be a poster of a coach advertising 'Duple Motor Bodies Ltd.', signed Carrington-Windo in familiar small capitals. Windo was active as a book cover artist from at least 1947 when a number of covers signed 'Bruce' were published by 'Pan Books', including Graham Greene's 'Journey Without Maps', Osbert Sitwell's 'Alive-Alive Oh!' and others. 'Bruce' was active on book covers 1947-1949, probably to concentrate on the more lucrative advertising posters, but began to reappear again in late 1955 with 'Panther Books' and regularly with Pan Books 1956-1958, 'Arrow Books' 1957-1958, 'Famous Romance Library' 1956-1958 and 'Schoolgirls' Picture Library' 1959. He also produced illustrations for 'World of Wonder' and 'World of Knowledge Annual'. Bruce married in 1949, Peggy Joan Shepherd and lived at various addresses around Eastbourne, Sussex until about 1983 when they moved to 87 Hospital Road, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk where Bruce died in 2006, aged 85; his wife died in 2008, aged 86.